


From The Other Realm

by michitariru



Category: Pandora Hearts
Genre: don't ask me what point in the manga I wrote this bc I really do not remember, shelly watching the living world after her death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 03:56:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20753951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michitariru/pseuds/michitariru
Summary: After Shelly's tragic death, she was gifted what is both a blessing and a curse: being able to continue seeing what was going on in the world of the living, despite having passed on herself. Unable to say or do anything to affect what is happening to the living, only able to watch on, for both the good and the bad that happens before her eyes.





	From The Other Realm

She was far away, quite disconnected from it all, but she could still see every second of it in front of her eyes. Being in a world separate from that one had its advantages; physical distance meant nothing in this realm, nor did typical human limitations. She could watch as long as her heart desired, though she knew that watching every second of every day would wear on her eventually. Watching the life she had lost, people that her death had forced her to leave behind when she crossed over, the world she used to be a part of.

It was both a curse and a blessing that she was granted the ability to see what was going on with her loved ones while she was existing in the world beyond the physical one. She could see everything that was happening, but unfortunately she was unable to hear. She couldn’t understand words passing lips, hear the sounds of movements, or noises of the surrounding area. That too was both a curse and a blessing. 

The worry had been eating at her for over a week now. Watching Baskerville’s attack Xerxes and Sharon, it tore Shelly up being absolutely powerless watching her daughter be struck to the ground and handled with none of the respect that a lady should deserve. Watching the man she loved, his face being pushed into the dirt as they forced both into submission and dragged them off for who knows where, it was enough to almost make Shelly break down in tears of fright.

Days passed and she was unable to stop watching, unable to tear her eyes away; in the human reaction when you’re watching something horrifying but finding yourself incapable of looking away despite knowing what you’re watching is horrific. She feared that if she stopped and looked away, even for a few seconds, then the worst might occur and she’d turn back and see either one of them dead.

Though she couldn’t see her mother during this particular vision, she knew in her heart that Rufus was keeping her safe, even if he wasn’t with her. Shelly knew that man wasn’t to be underestimated, Rufus Barma would be damned if he let anything happen to his oldest and dearest friend while he still had power to protect Sheryl.

Seeing Xerxes held in chains day after day broke Shelly’s heart, seeing him treated like anything less than a human, she desperately wanted to draw him into her arms much like she had countless times when she was still alive. It pained her to be where she was, and she knew she was only hurting herself watching for as long as she was, but she didn’t want to vanish for a day or two or three and look again to find out that Xerxes was dead, or Sharon, or Sheryl too. She’d watch until the end, even if what she ended up seeing was her worst nightmare. At least then she wouldn’t be met with the horrific feeling of shock realizing you missed something, even if that something was incredibly emotional and painful.

Her vision had been strangely focused on only Xerxes for several days, she didn’t know why she was unable to see where her daughter was, or what she was doing, if she was even safe. But when the scene in front of her eyes suddenly changed and Xerxes was being unlocked from his shackles and tossed over the shoulder of a cloaked figure, as if he was no more than a rag doll or a mere sack of potatoes, it only hurt Shelly again that he was being treated as carelessly as he was.

It hurt her to see him have to endure this.

Shelly knew nothing of the Baskerville stronghold, the layout of it, what each room was intended for, nor did she know where they were taking him. The room they ended up in was vast, it could’ve been used for ceremonies, for soirees, funerals, anything that required a large crowd or just a lot of room.

They dropped him on the ground again and Shelly winced as an automatic reaction. He had to be weak, his body was probably unable to deal with the complete lack of sugar coursing through his system as it normally would be otherwise; but then again the human body was only going to get weaker the longer it went without notable sustenance, anyone with common sense knew that. But one thing that struck her was why he wasn’t using Mad Hatter to save himself, why he’d endured days of this when (for all Shelly knew) he’d had more than enough means to save himself. Shelly being unable to hear what was going on in their world, had no idea that it had been the common belief that the Rainsworth gate key had been destroyed and that Xerxes and Sharon had believed that they’d both lost their respectable chains. Whether he was simply biding his time for the opportune moment, or he was unable to summon Mad Hatter for whatever reason, she didn’t know. She could only watch with that confusion hanging over her like a never dissipating cloud.

When the doors off to the side opened and Shelly saw both her mother and daughter be brought in, Shelly was brought back to a state of borderline crying seeing her daughter in such distress and her mother too being treated with less than all the respect she knew the Duchess deserved. 

The slap that was harshly delivered to Sharon’s cheek finally brought out an indignant cry from the mother that could only watch helplessly as her daughter crumpled to the ground and Xerxes’ eye couldn’t have gone any wider from shock. Shelly wanted to scream at them to not lay a hand on her daughter, but she knew that they would’ve been completely futile. Words were exchanged, she could see Sheryl’s lips moving, and slowly the atmosphere of the room changed, the air seemed to swirl around (evident by the wind causing Sharon’s hair to whip back and forth around her, and suddenly a form took shape behind Xerxes as he managed to get to his feet and get Sharon safely within his grasp.

So he did have Mad Hatter after all. In moments like this Shelly wished she could hear what was being said, because as grateful as she was that he was able to use his chain at a time like this to ensure they were safe, she didn’t know what made this moment opportune enough to bring it out now. But as Baskerville’s backed away slowly, knowing they’d be no match for the unique chain, Shelly’s attention got turned to Xerxes’ face. Though his appearance was disheveled from being kept in the dungeon’s for days on end, his eye was different now. There was a glint in it that she hadn’t seen in some time. 

Kevin was in there, the fighting spirit of the knight she knew so many years ago that would fight to an inch of his life for the ones he loved, the ones he’d sworn with his very being to to protect. The determination was all over his face now, in his stance as he kept Sharon tight against his side, and own eyes widened as the man who’d struck her daughter literally disappeared in front of their eyes in a cloud of dust. Xerxes meant business right now, something had been done or said to bring him back.

The moment before her, Shelly could feel her chest swell with more than a few emotions.

Relief, knowing that if Break had Mad Hatter in his possession, then Sharon and Sheryl would be safe. Concern knowing that using his chain is a strain on his body as it is, who knows what this was doing to him. Pride seeing him standing strong and protecting Sharon and Sheryl, ready to unleash his chain on anyone who dared attack. And love seeing the Kevin she knew and loved coming back at the best time possible. 

She knew he’d been worth it.


End file.
